It’s been one year since Glee actress and mum, Naya Rivera, suddenly and so tragically left this world and today, the people who loved her most are remembering her warmth, kindness and fun spirit.
Naya and her son Josey, who was 4 years old at the time, went missing on July 8 last year during a boating trip on California’s Lake Piru. Josey was found alive, in the boat by himself, and Naya’s body was pulled out of the waters five days later.
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Speaking to Good Morning America, Naya’s mum, Yolanda Previtire, shared her grief and how the family is supporting one another:
“Sometimes, we’re afraid of the sorrow being so heavy that we’re afraid for our own self, ’cause this is hard. There are no words to describe what we’re going through. All we know is we have each other,”
She adds that she constantly feels Naya’s presence telling her “Mom, be happy. Don’t cry. I’m OK. Go get Josey. Have fun.”
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Naya’s younger sister Nickayla Rivera who also took part in the interview explained that they’re taking each day as it comes:
“And taking that one day at a time, and living it to the fullest, loving each other to the fullest, and not regretting anything. Because I know if we could go back, we’d hug a little bit harder.”
Nickayla also shared a series of videos of the two of them having fun together in her Instagram stories, captioning it “one year without my chef. I love you & miss you every day.”
(via @NickaylaRivera/Instagram Stories)
Naya’s Glee co-star Heather Morris posted a message on Instagram describing how much she misses her friend:
She also shared a video of herself getting a tattoo on her arm with one of Naya’s final tweets – tomorrow is not promised. Swipe below to see:
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Another fellow Glee actress and friend, Jenna Ushkowitz, shared a photo of Naya performing on stage.
“Always a light. Always with us. My heart is with you and your family today. Love you Nougs,” she captioned the photo.
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Matthew Morrison and Chris Colfer also shared photos of Naya with a heart emoji while Kevin McHale tweeted, “I miss you. Every single day.”
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One of the charities Naya supported, Alexandria House LA, is also paying tribute to the young actress:
“We remember and are grateful for her time as a volunteer with our childcare program. Her love and support continues on this week, in honour of her loving spirit, we will be giving away gift boxes to new mothers in our community. Filled with essentials like diapers and wipes, we are also including clothes designed by Naya rom her clothing line JOJO&IZZY.”
You can find out more about their gift boxes and how you can help HERE.
Naya was 33 when she passed away.
(Feature Image Credit: GIO_LE/Shutterstock.com)